The work creates the work is my mantra.

Well not really a mantra as I don’t fervently mutter it under my breath as I slave away in the studio smearing the sweat of hard won creations all over my brow.

It is just a knowing, a simple rule, a fact of my life.

The work creates its own energy and thus more work is created.

Recently, while having drinks together in Melbourne, Mrs Woog asked me to make a ceramic egg for her husbands birthday gift. Apparently we had already discussed this commission via email but for the life of me I couldn’t remember the emails. That line was the cue for any of you reading who I have promised work, to send me a reminder email as well. Sorry in advance for the delay.

Knowing that the egg had to be shipped to Sydney I didn’t want to make one of my handbuilt Dragon eggs as it would be akin to posting half a brick. If you have ever tried to post a brick to anyone, you will know that it is very,very expensive.

*image by Robin Roberts

In my studio practice, I handbuild, I use the wheel and I slip cast. I decided that the egg for Mrs Woog needed to be slipcast so as to be easily (and cheaply) shipped to Sydney.I had an egg mould here that I had made when I was still in the early planning stage for my sculpture display at ChauncyVale. I had only used this mould once or twice as I soon discovered that slipcast eggs were far too delicate to be left outside in the bush. In hindsight I now know that nearly all my eggs were too delicate to have been left in the bush.

So I made the ceramic egg to Mrs Woogs specifications and shipped it off to Sydney.

I have an exhibition coming up at the Off Centre Micro Gallery at the end of January. Eve Howard and I are working together with the theme of our exhibition to be The Albatross. We haven’t sorted out all the details yet, except for the dates. The joint exhibition runs for four weeks with the opening either on the 26th or 27th of January 2012.

The commission for Mrs Woog gave me a clear idea of the work that I need to make for my show with Eve Howard and these are the pieces I am working on.

*images taken with my HTC phone.

The work creates the work.

Thanks to Mrs Woog for the inspiration.

Luckily we have this gorgeous photo to remember Luke Burgess’ beautiful dish.

This photo was taken by my friend who writes the  food blog, Reminiscence of a Food Tragic.

Stephen has entered this photo in a competition and would LIKE your vote.

All you have to do is click on this link, or click on the photo and then click like underneath this beautiful photo.

I would be very grateful.

cheers Kim

The Blurb

I take a lot of photos and most of them are just sitting around in folders on my desktop not doing anything. I thought that a dedicated post once a week would be a good way to share some of these photos that otherwise wouldn’t be seen by anyone other than me.

I am also remarkably absent minded and I put photos into folders and think that I will publish them later on and then then I never do.

So I have started a photo meme that anyone can join in and play as well. The rules are so simple as to be virtually non existent.

Just add your name and URL to the Mr Linky.

Publish your photos on your blog using the “Sunday Selections” title.

Link back here to me.

The Photos

Most of  these photos were taken on a trip to Melbourne last November.

I adore Melbourne.

There is always talk within the blogosphere about  “A list” bloggers being invited to all the events, whilst the rest of the blogosphere the B and C,D or even E list bloggers are left out in the cold wondering why they are not invited as well.

It will always be in businesses best interests to encourage an air of exclusivity because that is how business works, make a brand exclusive and it immediately increases its desirability.

Make an event exclusive, and you increase the talk about the event and thus increase the events appeal.

Sometimes this approach can backfire, especially if the marketing campaign is handled clumsily and the perceived exclusivity of an event gets peoples backs up and they start to get a bit peeved with being treated like cash cows.

So in response to the latest talk of A lists and exclusive invites, I have compiled my own “A list” of Australian Bloggers.

A Listed Bloggers.

—-[INSERT OWN NAME HERE]—-

Yes, my lovelies you read that correctly.

You are all “A listers”!

Now start to bloody well act like it.

There is only a ranking system in life if you allow yourself to be ranked.

I double dog dare anyone out there in cyberspace to call me anything less than an A list blogger, as well as an A list person.

Hold your heads up high and demand to be treated with the respect you deserve.

If you get an offer that offends you, dont accept it.

If you are tired of not being invited to events, create your own event. Organise a morning tea with a couple of other like minded bloggers or twitter friends and glam it up for the day.

Start acting like the A list bloggers that I know you are.

You can do it, I have faith in you.

If you need some ideas go and read these blog posts written by Veronica Foale, a seriously A for Awesome listed blogger.

Blogging, I’m doing it wrong

On not working for peanuts

Ethics and Integrity

The culture of Silence

Transparency and should the little people get a say

The ethics of blogging

And this final  post The traveling Red Dress written by The Bloggess, I went looking through The Bloggess’ archives yesterday looking for a post that Jenny had written imploring her fellow bloggers to not write for a pittance, and to not sell yourselves short. I couldn’t find the post but I spent a happy hour immersed in Jenny’s world.

If ever you need to emulate someone in the blogosphere, The Bloggess is the woman I would recommend. (after me of course)

*updated*

The Bloggess sent me the link to the post I was looking for, aptly titled,  Because some things are worth more than a box of cereal.

I told you she is a gem.

All you need to do is say YES.

Say Yes! I can do something about this.

Say Yes! I can help.

Say Yes! By saying No to plastic.

I know it is hard.

I know we are surrounded by the rotten stuff.

But if we each decide to stop buying one item of plastic.

Just one item.

I have said no to plastic water bottles.

So just Say Yes

And we can make a small step forward.

Say Yes to the planet and say no to unecessary plastic.

Our grandchildren are depending on us.

The Blurb

I take a lot of photos and most of them are just sitting around in folders on my desktop not doing anything. I thought that a dedicated post once a week would be a good way to share some of these photos that otherwise wouldn’t be seen by anyone other than me.

I am also remarkably absent minded and I put photos into folders and think that I will publish them later on and then then I never do.

So I have started a photo meme that anyone can join in and play as well. The rules are so simple as to be virtually non existent.

Just add your name and URL to the Mr Linky.

Publish your photos on your blog using the “Sunday Selections” title.

Link back here to me.

The Photos

These photos were all taken last summer.

I love bulbs and before my grandfather died in 2008 he would always give me lots of bulbs. Every time my Tiger lilies flower I think of my grandfather.

The curve of this Molly Hawks wing sends me off into ceramic daydreams.

As does the fine detail in this bush blowflies wing. I love the colour of this blowfly.The eyes of the common house fly always remind me of futuristic robotic design.

I can watch the Orb spiders in their webs for hours. My friend Zelda brought her cockroaches in for me to photograph. I like cockroaches.The sound tunnel at MONAA frogling emerges.

Welcome swallow

This dead sting ray was on the beach and if it hadn’t been so smelly I would have brought it home and made a plaster cast of it. But honestly internet it stunk to high heaven.

My very best friend Tanya, arrived on the morning of Veronica’s wedding with her car boot packed full with brightly coloured gerberas.

Gerberas are such a happy flower.

These images make me smile.

In 2009 I discovered Chris Jordan’s Photographs of the dead albatross chicks on Midway atoll.

I was so struck by the images of the dead Albatross that I had to make something in response. Something that would raise awareness about the terrible plastic pollution problem as well as salve my own conscience.

I made a dead albatross bowl.

Two weeks after the bowl was completed Chris Jordan was scheduled to speak at the university of Hobart and I went along to hear him talk about Plastic Pollution.

At the end of Chris Jordan’s talk I went up to him and gave him an image of the dead albatross bowl along with a cover letter explaining how his photographs had impacted my own Artistic practice.

There were a few people talking with him about Plastic Pollution and I struck up a conversation with a young woman with a Canadian accent. In the car park later on this young woman and her friend were leaving and on impulse I jumped out of the car and gave them an image of my dead albatross bowl as well.

That impulse resulted in a new friendship with that young woman who just happened to be a very well respected Scientist Dr Jennifer Lavers.

Jenn gives me plastic that has been inside our seabirds here in Australia and the simple fact of being able to hold a piece of plastic in my hands that has contributed towards the death of a bird inspires me to keep on making, even when the end product might not be pleasing.

This brings me back to a side project I am working on, The Sketch Book Project 2012. Small sketch books were sent out to artists all over the world and we each got to choose a theme for our book. I chose “Fill me with Stories” and I thought I would tell the story of how I work, with the main story in the book dealing with Plastic Pollution as well as showing “How to make a dead Albatross Bowl”

I really dislike blank pages as I don’t think there is anything quite as scary as a crisp white piece of paper. So my first job was to quickly colour in all the pages using poster paint, as it was all I had to hand.

I also painted some pages with slip, using Tasmanian Clay that I had dug out of the ground myself.

Once I got into the swing of things with the poster paint I started to have fun, as I thought about Australia and bushfires and our deadly impact on the planet.

All I have to do now is add in some photos, showing how to make a dead albatross bowl as well as some some text. Spray on some sealant and post it off to America by the Jan 31st deadline and tadaa I am done.

I have been receiving emails, internet. Emails from people asking if I have any more wedding photos.

You people are insatiable you know.

Luckily I am not the kind of evil witch who would deny you your fix of pretty images of my daughters wedding.

What sort of person refuses to share wedding photos anyway?

So here are some more photos.

Because of the rain we didn’t take any formal posed photos. I don’t know why we didn’t as we were all pretty soggy and a bit more standing about in the rain wouldn’t have mattered.

These images were taken by my friend Tan, My Father in Law, Richard and myself.

This cake was made with love by our friend Watershedd and shipped down from Sydney. It is very very nice.

This cake was a surprise and was made by Veronica’s school friend Catherine, who is in the process of setting up a facebook page for her Cat Cakes. I love the little fingers reaching for the flowers.

My friend Tan, used to be a florist in a previous life and she turned up with a boot full of gerberas as her wedding gift to Veronica.

Gerberas are such happy happy flowers.

Meanwhile back in the house, the wedding preparations were going ahead.

The bridal party walked down the aisle in the rain.

Vows were exchanged

This is Veronica and her little brother David

This is Veronica and her childhood friend Kiandra. I posted this one because in this photo you can see just how exhausted my little girl is. Von had well and truly used up all her spoons by this stage.

But this next photo is my favourite. Veronica is a beautiful young woman and Nathan adores her.